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Ebere Eze appears destined to join Arsenal after they pipped rivals Tottenham to his signature, and old footage of the Crystal Palace star professing his love for the Gunners suggests this transfer was destined to be.
Mikel Arteta's side executed a swift and decisive swoop for Eze on Wednesday evening, reaching an agreement in principle valued at approximately £68million. Spurs chief Daniel Levy had already hammered out a £60m arrangement for the England ace before Gunners executive vice-chairman Tim Lewis' connection with Palace chief Steve Parish enabled them to trump their north London neighbours and secure a £60m plus £7.5m in add-ons package.
The 27-year-old is keen to play for the Eagles when they take on Fredrikstad in a Conference League play-off on Thursday evening. However, manager Oliver Glasner might be compelled to omit him to prevent any injury concerns. Regardless, Eze appears destined to become an Arsenal player, and judging by old footage of the attacker, this switch has long been his preference.
During Eze's days as an emerging talent at Queens Park Rangers, he was questioned about his preferred club. Considering the then-20-year-old had previously been part of the Gunners' Hale End academy before his release at 13, his response was unequivocal.
"Arsenal. I've just supported them from young," Eze told Alessandro Morolli-Schiavone, with four words encapsulating his sentiments perfectly. "They're my favourite team."
He continued: "The way they play. I played with them when I was younger as well. When I was younger, I used to love Thierry Henry, and that's sort of why I decided to sign for them. Just growing up playing for them, I've grown a love for them."
Eze was also questioned about whether he would leave QPR should Arsenal make an approach for him, though he provided a measured response, saying: "I don't know about all of that. I'm a QPR player now and I'm happy to be playing for QPR."
The Gunners were also Eze's choice to win the Premier League that campaign, the 2018/19 season, as when asked who his title favourites were, he declared: "Arsenal. I believe, somehow." The north London side finished fifth.
Despite being left in tears for a week after Arsenal released him when he was a 13-year-old academy prospect, Eze's affection for the Gunners remains clear. Personal terms weren't an issue when Arsenal renewed discussions for the 27-year-old, whose arrival would help soften the impact of losing Kai Havertz to injury.
Eze's footballing journey started at Arsenal, though he was also involved with Fulham, Reading and Millwall's youth setups before his switch to QPR in 2016. It was there that he established himself in the senior squad, securing a £17m transfer to Palace in 2020.
Since then, he has netted 39 goals in 167 appearances for the Eagles, with 14 of those coming last season. One of his goals clinched the FA Cup for Palace in a 1-0 victory over Manchester City in May. Prior to the final, Eze was quizzed about his stunning technical prowess and his response is sure to thrill Arsenal supporters.
"It's easy to lose sight of, especially (with) the type of player I am, why I'm doing what I'm doing," Eze shared with BBC Sport ahead of the FA Cup final, discussing his flair.
"Why do I run with the ball? Why do I try things? Why am I creative? Why do I do things that maybe players wouldn't think to do? The reason is for the people who are watching.
"It's what you're doing to people in the stands and how you can get people off their feet; that's what football's about. It feels like football is starting to shift a bit, and there's maybe not as much of that, but as long as I play, that's all I want to do."
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